New coach and Raptor Draft Preview

According to Dallas Morning News and ESPN, Dwayne Casey and the Toronto Raptors have agreed to a coaching deal. We don’t know the terms yet, but apparently Casey has already accompanied the Raptors to NY to look at Bismack Biyombo.  Colangelo isn’t a guy who likes to waste time, and he shows it once again.

Casey was one of the front runners to this job along with Lawrence Frank two weeks ago, but with the Mavericks winning the NBA championship, it’s a no surprise that Casey became the only candidate. Casey was a head coach a couple of years ago with Minnesota, and was let go after the Wolves overachieved in their first 40 games (20-20 with Casey).  Casey has the pedigree, head coaching experience and respect of players (every Maverick players give him high praises). His implement of the zone defense is a huge part of the reason why the Mavericks won the championship.  Even in Minnesota, Casey’s team would show a high level of intensity on the defensive end (didn’t hurt to have Kevin Garnett).

I will spend more time on this when this is made official. I like this move, it’s a step in the right direction for the Toronto Raptors. This team needs to be better defensively, so hiring someone who is a successful defensive guru will help.

Raptor Draft Preview

The draft is on Thursday, and I have heard plenty of names for the Raptors at #5. Obviously, the Raptors pick is heavily depended on the first four picks, but here are the potential players for the #5 pick:

1) Brandon Knight: If Knight is still around at 5, the Raptors will probably take him. However, the Jazz may pick him at #3. He is a very good athlete, good size for a PG, but he hasn’t shown PG instinct.  Many scouts think he is a combo guard, but he is young enough to learn how to run a team. I compare him to Jrue Holiday; similar size, strengths and weaknesses. Holiday also came out of the draft as a freshman. If the Raptors do pick Knight, I expect him to be the backup PG for the Raptors in his first season. I don’t think he is ready to be a starting PG for a NBA team yet.

2) Kemba Walker: Walker is more of a sure thing than Knight. With Barbosa possibly leaving the Raptors, Walker would make sense here. He is the quickest guard, with tremendous handle. His size is a question mark and he isn’t a true PG either, but he can run the team better than Knight.  And no one plays harder than Kemba.

3) Jan Vesely: Vesely sound more like an athlete than a basketball player. From reading some of the scouting report, he is a very good dunker, excellent athlete, with very good size and works very hard. On the other hand, he is not a good shooter, almost no handle, no post game, and questionable defensive player. I have seen him dunk in some video, and yes he can really dunk. His shooting and turnover numbers though, not too good.

4) Enes Kanter: If Kanter drops, then the Raptors could go with him. Kanter isn’t as athletic as some other players in this draft, but many scouts are impressed with his basketball IQ and his toughness. Apparently he has a very good post game and can rebound the ball. But we really don’t know this, since he hasn’t played a competitive game for almost a year now.

5) Kawhi Leonard: Not a big fan of his in San Diego State, but you can’t argue with his success there. Chad Ford of ESPN thinks he is the 5th best player in the draft, and John Hollinger’s draft rater has him ranked #5 as well. Excellent rebounder, works hard, plays defense, not much of an offensive force; his shooting needs a lot of work.

6) Bismack Biyombo: One of the big discoveries at the Nike Hoop Summit. He has very good instinct on the defensive end. Some scouts think he is the next Serge Ibaka. His offensive game needs work, lots of work. The Raptors are very interested in him, he maybe a reach at 5, so they may either try to get an extra pick to get him or trade down to do so.

Other players: Tristan Thompson would be a very good pickup for the only Canadian team. I think he is very similar to Ed Davis in many ways, Thompson is a little better offensively though.  Not sure the Raptors would pick another PF… some scouts compared Jonas Valanciunas  to Pau Gasol, I don’t really see it, but he is 7’ft tall and has good offensive instinct, his buyout is an issue though.

This is a difficult draft to evaluate. All these players have a lot of questions marks. Knight and Kanter has the most upside, but they may not be there at #5, and they are risky picks. Biyombo can’t score, but his potential on defense is intriguing. Kemba and Lenoard are ready to play now, but may not have the upside that other players have. To be honest, I don’t know who to pick at #5.

But if I do have to make a pick, I will go with Kemba. Love his heart and ability to create. At worst, he is a Bobby Jackson. Kemba does possess the leadership that this team sorely needs since day 1.

Looking back: 5th pick + Bryan Colangelo’s first round drafts in the past decade

With a couple of weeks left to the draft, it’s good time to look back and see Colangelo’s drafting record plus the 5th overall pick since 2000.

2000

5th Overall: Mike Miller.  Many people compared the 2000 draft to the 2011 draft. It was a really weak draft. The Magic did quite well by picking up Mike Miller at #5.  He had a good year in Florida and won the rookie of the year in Orlando. Not an all-star, but a very good role player who could shoot, pass and rebound. He also won the 6th man of the year award with Memphis.  The Raptors wouldn’t complain if they can get similar quality like Miller in a very weak draft.

Colangelo’s pick: Jake Tsakalidis, 25th overall. Not a bad pick in a weak draft; no one after that point in the first round was worth talking about. Tsakalidis is 7’3 and 290 pounds. Not very mobile nor athletic, and seem to prefer to shoot around mid-range.  He is out of the league now.

2001

5th Overall: Jason Richardson. Richardson was the first college player picked in the 2001 draft. Many scouts compared him to Vince Carter, but he didn’t have the ball-handling ability of Carter. Richardson never made to an all-star team but is a very effective player throughout his career. Though you always feel like he can do more with his ability.

Colangelo’s pick: The Suns didn’t have a first round pick in 2001

 

2002

5th Overall: Nikoloz Tskitishvili. Tskitishvili was an 18 year old who barely played in Bennetto. He looked great in workouts, but that’s the problem with just looking at workouts. Tskitishvili was never ready for the NBA, he wasn’t strong nor tough enough.  For those of you who want Enes Kanter, take note.

Colangelo’s pick: Amare Stoudamire 9th overall.  I don’t think any scouts have questions about Amare’s talent, but they did have questions about his life outside of basketball. Let’s put it this way, Amare came to the draft from high school, he was 21 years old. Give Colangelo credit, he could have gone to the safe route and pick Caron Butler who was supposed to be a top 5 pick but his draft stock dropped for no apparently reason.  Colangelo saw the upside of Amare, and got the best player in the 2002 draft; winning the rookie of the year and made the All-Star team 6 times.

2003

5th Overall: Dwayne Wade. 2003 was considered the best draft in the last 20 years. 4 of the first 5 picks made the all-star team multiple times. Lots of scouts wondered where Wade would play in the NBA; he was too turnover prone as a PG and too small to play SG. Also, he wasn’t a good shooter. Wade proved everyone wrong in his rookie year, leading the Miami Heat to the playoffs. He played as a PG as a rookie, then moved to the SG spot in his second year; eventually winning a championship and the Finals MVP. I don’t have to say anymore.

Colangelo’s pick: Zarko Cabarkapa, 17th overall. Cabarkapa is 6’10 and can shoot. Scouts thought he was similar to Rashard Lewis, but injuries have hurt his development.

2004

5th Overall: Devin Harris. Devin Harris was the best college PG in that draft. 6’3, with great speed and ball-handling ability. He eventually started for the Mavericks but wasn’t a huge part of the offense. It was the trade to New Jersey where Harris showed his quickness, he made the all-star team in 2009.  You could make some comparison between Brandon Knight and Devin Harris, they have similar size and speed. Harris, though had a better understanding of the game when the Mavs drafted him. Knight is 19 and only had one year of college experience.

Colangelo’s pick: None. He traded the 7th pick to the Bulls. Considering this move was made to maximize cap space and as a result they got Steve Nash, you really can’t argue it too much.  The Bulls picked Luol Dang.

 

2005

5th Overall: Raymond Felton. Felton shouldn’t be the 5th pick overall, he was drafted there because: 1) He led the Tar Heels to win the NCAA championship and 2) Charlotte wants to pick guys who played college at the home state to draw fans. Not saying Felton isn’t a good player. Undersized but with good speed, not a great shooter especially off the dribble.  Not an all-star but good enough to start on any NBA team.

Colangelo’s pick: None. The Suns traded Nate Robinson to the Knicks. Colangelo’s last draft as the Sun’s GM.

2006

5th Overall: Sheldon Williams. The ‘Landlord’ wasn’t the 5th best player in the draft, even in a weak draft year. But Billy Knight loved his game, and throw cautions to the wind. Williams is a role player who can defend but can’t score. Some compared Williams to Antonio Davis, but at least Davis can catch a pass and score a little.

Colangelo’s pick: Andrea Bargnani, 1st overall. I criticized both Colangelo and Bargnani for the past few years, but I will defend this pick. 2006 wasn’t a good draft year, no one stood out as the #1 overall player. Colangelo was very intrigued with Bargnani’s potential, a 7 footer who can score from anywhere was very difficult to find.  Bargnani’s weaknesses (rebounding and defense) were fixable.  Looking at this draft now, Brandon Roy is a better player, but now injured and may retire. Rudy Gay is better, LaMarcus Aldridge is better but it’s hard for the Raptors to draft a Chris Bosh clone at that time. Tyrus Thomas is still a headcase. Adam Morrison is out of the league. Randy Foye and Sheldon Williams are backup role players. In short, the Raptors didn’t do too badly in this draft.

 

2007

5th pick overall: Jeff Green. Not a big fan of Green when he played for Georgetown. Not a scorer, but a good complementary player. That’s probably the reason why Presti drafted Green to play with Durant, even though they played the same position. Looking back, they would have done better with Noah. Green is a tweener SF/PF, probably will make his living as a SF.

Colangelo’s pick: No one. Raptors have no first round pick in 2007

 

2008

5th pick overall: Kevin Love. I loved Love’s game in UCLA; he couldn’t jump but he could do everything else. Memphis actually had the 5th spot but wanted OJ Mayo, so traded up and Minnesota ending up with Kevin Love. One of the very few things Kevin McHale did right. Love is now an all-star, and a monster rebounder.

Colangelo’s pick. None. The Raptors traded their first round pick in the disaterous Jermaine O’Neal trade.

2009

5th pick overall: Ricky Rubio. The Wolves had the 5th pick once again and picked Rubio. Rubio still hasn’t played a game in the NBA, but you can argue his stock has slipped considerably in the past 2 years. Mainly because his performance in Europe was disappointing. Rubio will play for the Wolves this year.

Colangelo’s pick: DeMar DeRozan. Excellent pick by Colangelo. DeRozan struggled early in his freshman year in USC, but came on strong around the second half and in the NCAA tourney. Look at the 10-20 pick in the 2009 draft, would you pick anyone of them over DeRozan. You can make an argument for Ty Lawson, but he’s 2 years older than DeRozan. Jrue Holiday could be pretty darn good too, but I don’t think Colangelo would trade DeRozan for him.

2010

5th pick overall: DeMarcus Cousins. Huge talent, but a serious headcase. He did show flashes of his abilities in Sacramento. I wish I could say the same thing about his attitude. Still very young. If he matures (a big if), he will be an all-star.

Colangelo’s pick: Ed Davis. Davis was projected as a mid-lottery pick, so Colangelo got a gift here at 13. I wasn’t a big fan of Davis in North Carolina, but he was impressive as a rookie. Perhaps it’s due to him not having to be the #1 option on offense like he was in NC. I see Davis as a Dale Davis/PJ Brown type, not an all-star but a starter for any NBA teams. Here is question: Who would rather have now, Cousins or Davis? Davis will have a very long career but doesn’t have the upside of Cousins. Meanwhile, Cousins could be the next Derrick Coleman or a multiple all-star.

 

Summary: The 5th pick usually get you a decent player even in a weak draft. 4 of the past 11 picks made the all-star team, most of them turned out to be pretty solid players.  Colangelo though seem to love to pick guys with good upside especially when he has a pick in the lottery; we know he is not afraid to go pick a player in Europe. He gambled on Bargnani, Amare and DeRozan, and they weren’t busts. He does have a good eye for talent.

Searching for the Next Raptor Coach

It’s no secret that I am not the biggest Jay Triano fan. The team’s defense seem to gotten worse with him at the helm. You could make an argument that talent on the floor has a lot to do with this, but at the same time it’s easy to see Triano can’t get anyone to play defense.

So who are the candidates?  Colangelo wants someone who has a wealth of experience and success. Someone who has a free flowing offense and has success putting defensive unit together. Not sure a lot of those are available right now.

Here are some candidates:

1) Lawrence Frank. Frank has a nice deal of success when he coached the Nets; winning a couple of division titles. His team has always been very good on the defensive end (except for his last season), a very detail oriented coach. However, his offensive approach leaves a lot to be desired.

2) Dwayne Casey. Casey doesn’t have the resume like Frank, but he is a pretty good coach. Casey was 20-20 when he was fired as a coach for the Timberwolves in 2006-07 season. The team went 12-30 after that. In short, he overachieves, which is something you want from a coach. He almost become a head coach for the Toronto Raptors, when Glen Grunwald wanted him as a coach, but Richard Peddie wanted Kevin O’Neil instead. His Minnesota team did well on defense. It ranked 10th overall in 05-06 season, his offense ranked 28th, but when you have Marcus Banks as your starting PG, and Trenton Hassell as a starter, your offense isn’t going to be any good.

3) Mike D’Antoni. A little far-fetch since he is still under contract to the Knicks. But I am not sure if he will be around as a Knick coach. If Dolan decides on another direction, he could let D’Antoni go. It’s obvious that Colangelo is very familiar with D’Antoni and vice versa. However, D’Antoni’s team play no defense either, which isn’t what the Raptors are looking for.

4) Rick Adelman. Another far-fetch choice. It would be a great choice though, since Adelman is equally adept on offense and defense. Has an excellent resume. But why would Adelman go to a rebuilding team when he has other options available?

5) Ettore Messina. Messina has enormous success in Europe, a very well known coach. But is it a little risky for the Raptors to hire someone with no NBA experience?

6) Others. They are lots of other options. Brian Shaw is a possibility, he has lots of success as an assistant, and with Kobe giving an endorsement, it’s not a bad choice. But again, is experience as an assistant coach enough for Colangelo? Jeff Van Gundy has a nice TV job, I doubt you will see him as a coach unless a perfect opportunity is there. Larry Brown is out there, if you want someone with success and can teach, no one is better than Mr Fix it. Of course, he will want to leave after a year or so.

 

 

 

Colangelo’s new contract and Raptors come up snake-eye in lottery

A very newsworthy day for the Raptors. First they announced Bryan Colangelo has agreed to a 2 year extension + a club option year. While I would rather have someone else taking a shot at running the franchise than Colangelo, I can see the reason for doing this. Since technically it’s only a 2 year extension, I can live with it.  Call me old school, but I tend to give extension to GMs who actually did a good job in previous seasons. But then again, I don’t run this franchise. Besides, it’s better to have a flaw GM than no GM at all.

Hopefully Colangelo learns his lessons and won’t saddle his team with crappy contracts like he did before. I am not optimistic about that, however.

Meanwhile, a NBA draft lottery was held earlier tonight, and the Raptors will pick 5th in the NBA draft.  Cleveland has the first and fourth pick, Minnesota the second pick and Utah #3. The #1 pick was due to the trade with the Clippers. It’s only fitting that the Clippers would not lottery protect their draft picks. Pretty amazing in this day and age. Dan Gilbert’s kid (who sounds like he is 50) ends up being the good luck charm to a sad sack team. Look for more kids next year at the lottery, it’s going to be a trend.

Back to the Raptors and the draft, 5th pick in a weak draft means horrible things. For a team that’s desperate for star players, they are not going to get any with this pick (not that there is one available). I would presume Cleveland picking Irving #1, Minny picking Williams #2, Utah will go with Kanter or Knight as #3. I don’t think Cavs will pick another PG at #4, if Kanter is available they may go with him, or else it could be Leonard. So if I have to take a guess now, the Raptors will pick Kemba Walker at the 5th pick.

Kemba can play, a combo guard who is quick, very athletic and he is not afraid to take big shots. The problem here is that he is not a PG, and not a great shooter. Also, he is listed as 6-1, but I don’t buy that for a second. Size matter in this league, sadly.

Other options: Brandon Knight, if he drops. Knight is also a combo guard, but younger. I am not sure he is NBA ready yet. He has very good size for a PG…Kawhi Leonard, a very athletic  tweener who doesn’t have the perimeter game to play SF in this league… Jan Vesely, who is a PF from Europe, not sure the Raptors need another PF…Jonas Valnciunas another Euro PF, this one with a possible big buyout… My dark horse is Alec Burks from Colorado, he has the size, speed, athleticism and handle to be a very good SG in this league. Unfortunately, he can’t shoot. If he can impress people in shooting drills during the workouts, I wouldn’t be surprise to see him move up.  The Raptors could also trade this pick but I don’t see this happening, the demand just isn’t there in a weak draft.

Bayless – Starting PG of the future.

Haven’t post here for a while. In between work, NCAA tournament and that there really isn’t a lot to talk about (the team sucks, we know that since Nov), so I didn’t do much posting.

But I am still watching all the Raptor games, or as many as I can anyway. Just to see who could be the core for the next good Raptor team. The consensus from within the organization is to build around DeRozan and Ed Davis. DeRozan has really come on strong as a scorer, he has improved his handle and jumper to the point where it’s pretty easy to see him average 20 points next season. Davis is someone I really like, he will be a consistent double/double contributor.

The third player that’s starting to look like he belong to the core is Jerryd Bayless. His April stats really jumps out: 23 points, 6 assists, 50% shooting, 48% from 3 and average 7 Free Throw attempts. While I don’t see him shooting 50% for the entire season, his number still look really good, 7 free throw attempts from a PG is something the Raptors never have before.

The most impressive thing during this stretch is not his stats. It’s his ability to run the point. He has started before, and had good games, but he always have problems running a team. For example:  During the comeback against Detroit in December, Bayless had a great game, but he didn’t run the point well. Indeed, it was Barbosa who’s handling the PG duty during the stretch run. Bayless was more of a shooting guard.

If you look at Bayless now, he is a different player. Watching him play against the Nets in the early going, he let his teammates get into position, run plays for DeRozan, Johnson, Davis; if plays were broken up, then Bayless go to create something out of nothing.

The biggest attribute for a PG can’t really be measured by a stats. Sure statistic is important, but the PG’s main duty is to run the offense. A PG has to able to get the ball to his players at the right spot. Has to know when to run plays and calm the team down, has to know when to choose his spot to attack and keep defense honest. Jose Calderon knows how to do that, he may not have a great shooting game, he calms his team down, run plays. Coaches love that, I remember George Karl mentioned Calderon is a coach’s dream PG because he knows how to run a team.  That’s also the reason why Derek Fisher is the starting PG for the Lakers, he is 100, can’t move, but he knows the plays, he knows the triangle. Phil Jackson is happy to have a PG who knows the system to setup plays and Kobe Bryant is happy to have a PG who knows when and where to give him the ball.

Bayless is starting to get it as well. He runs his plays, look for options, give direction to his teammates. Knowing how to run a team has little to do with whether you are a pass-first PG or not. Chaucey Billups isn’t a pass first PG, but he knows where the ball should go to and he is going to attack. The key here is when. Bayless doesn’t have to be a pass-first PG to be a success, but he has to be a PG, and that means setting things up, be patient and find your opportunity.

Bayless has the physical size and skills to be an elite PG (he is big for a PG, quick and strong), and now he may have the mental capacity as well. So if the Raptors couldn’t get Kyrie Irving in the draft, it may not be the worst thing, because of Bayless.

 

 

Note:

I am writing up a Raptor Season Summary called Raptor in a Box. If you read Bill James Baseball Abstract books, you would know what I mean. Basically, it’s a season summary in an easier to read format. It will be pretty long, and hopefully I can finish it by the weekend.

Early impression on James Johnson

I like what the Raptors are doing with James Johnson, they are giving him time and spot for him to showcase himself. He has done everything he can to prove that the Raptor made the right move.

As a fan, it’s kind of fun to see what a new player can do, and sometimes you make an early impression of a player but then your opinion changed. I watched Johnson in Wake Forest and thought he was more of a Ryan Gomes type, but he seems to be a different player.

Johnson is more athletic than I thought, he did lose 20 pounds and moves very well for a 6-9 player. He plays very hard especially on the defensive end, which really shows up on this team.  He blocked 7 shots in 4 games, also got 5 steals during those games. He is very active and works very hard.

On offense, he seems to have a pretty good all-around game. He is a more than willing passer, and if anything he is a little too unselfish. Most of his points is coming around the basket area. He doesn’t have much of a jump shot (though he did hit a 3 tonight), and that may be something he needs to get more comfortable with. Teams with start playing off him and daring him to shoot. If he can hit shots off the dribble, then we may have something here.

Another weakness he has is that he is a little turnover prone. He plays very hard, and sometimes out of control.

Overall, it’s been a pretty good start for the Raptors and Johnson. Let’s see if this can continue.

Trade Deadline Deals (Part I)

Trade deadline has come and gone, and it’s one of the busiest one I can remember. It started with the Melo trade and once Melo was traded to the Knicks, the floodgate opens and here we are. Couple of big name players are traded, couple of surprises. Here is what I thought about each trade, beginning with the Carmelo Anthony trade:

 

Trade: Denver trades Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman to the Knicks for Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, a first-round draft pick (2014 or later) and cash. Knicks also send Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota for Corey Brewer.

Skinny: Melo got what he wanted, the Knicks got what they wanted, but did they too high of price for a player who is going to come anyway? Basically, the Knicks sort of bid against themselves on this one, and gave up way too much.  They did get the best player in the deal, maybe even best 2 players with Billups, but they sacrificed a lot of depth, and Billups isn’t young anymore.  Denver did a great job of playing this hand out.  They used the Nets as baits and played the hand beautifully. Wilson Chandler is an upcoming free-agent, but I could see the Nuggets re-signing him. Gallinari didn’t do much in NY except shooting 3 and going to the FT line, but I think he has more skills than that. Mozgov has some potential as a big man who can rebound, but foul too much. I don’t expect the Nuggets keeping Felton around with Lawson there as PG, unless he is a willing backup. Knicks also received Corey Brewer for Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry. Curry is useless, but Randolph is intriguing. He has top 5 talent, but his head is in the wrong place and it didn’t help that D’Antoni likes a short rotation. Brewer is a good defender, but useless on offense, in a way it fits a need for the Knicks, since they will be very bad on defense. Billups can’t guard quick guards anymore, Melo isn’t much of a defender, and we know about Amare.  But offensively, they will be a lot of fun to watch. You will see a lot 120-115 games in MSG.
Grades: NYK C, DEN B+, Minny B-

Trade: Utah trades Deron Williams to New Jersey for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, two first-round draft picks and cash considerations.

Skinny: Well, New Jersey is getting a star one way or another and they got one in Deron Williams. He is legit 20-10 guard who can control a game at any time. This trade immediately improves the Nets from a 27 win team to 35 win team. The big question is: Will Williams re-signed with the Nets in 2012? Well, if the new CBA has a franchise player clause, then it’s a big win for the Nets. It’s a bit of a gamble though. If he leaves, this is a disaster for them. In the short term, the Nets still isn’t any good and won’t make the playoffs this season. They may have the worst starting wing players in the league. I think Utah panicked here, I know the situation between Sloan and Williams, and Deron may have something to do with Sloan quitting. The Jazz don’t want another Melo situation next season so they make the move now. I think you can get more than this for Williams who is one of the best PG in this league. Harris is a fine player, Favors is an intriguing prospect and the 2 first round picks are likely lottery picks especially the NJ pick this season. But in a week draft, that may diminish the value.
Grades: NJ C, UTH B-

Trade: Sacramento trades Carl Landry to New Orleans for Marcus Thornton and cash considerations.

Skinny: One 6^th man for another. Thornton is not getting a lot of minutes for whatever reason, so moving him make sense for the Hornets. When you factor that the Hornets have almost no depth at the frontline, this trade makes a lot of sense. Landry can score with his midrange jumper and his drives. The Hornets, unlike the Jazz are trying to show CP3 that they are going for it. The Kings got Thornton who is a restricted free agent next season, so in some ways they dictate his future. Thornton can score, and he will do a lot of it with Evans out with an injury.

Grades: NO B+, Sac B-

Trade: Washington trades Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong to Atlanta for Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans and a 2011 first-round draft pick.

Skinny: In reality this is Hinrich for Crawford and the first round pick for Washington, though I am not sure Bibby will get bought out by the Wizards since he has another year remaining. This is a solid trade for the Wiz, they are rebuilding anyway, so they need draft picks and prospects. Jordan Crawford is an intriguing prospect, in a lot of ways he is a lot like Nick Young or even his namesake, Jamaal Crawford.  As for the Hawks, they finally have a PG who can guard the opposing PG. Hinrich’s defense and leadership ability will be very helpful the Hawks.  It’s an easy trade to make for ATL.

Grades: ATL B+, Wsh B

Trade: Nets trade Troy Murphy and a second-round pick in 2012 to the Warriors for Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright.

Skinny: A bit puzzled with this one for the Warriors. I know they don’t like Wright, but is that all they can get for him? Wright has talent, he is injury prone though, but he will get playing time in NJ. The Warriors are expected to buy-out Troy Murphy, at least the Celtics are hoping so.

Grades: GSW C-, NJN B

Trade: Chicago trades James Johnson to the Raptors for a first-round draft pick.

Skinny: We talked about this one on Tues from the Raptors POV. It’s a low risk move for them, a late first round pick in a weak draft doesn’t hold much water especially considering the upcoming CBA. I think the Raptors second round pick which would be around 33-34 range, is more valuable than the 28-29 pick of the draft because of the guarantee money.  Johnson isn’t a high ceiling prospect; he is 24 already. However I do like that the Raptors plug him as a starting SF right away, and he didn’t embarrass himself. From my first look, he looked trimmer, and moving a lot better on defense. Hopefully he can prove himself with the playing time he is getting. He has one more season left on his rookie contract, so the Raptors will give him every chance. Chicago shed some money and add a first round pick for a player they don’t need.
Grades: TOR C+, Chi B

Trade: L.A. Clippers trade Baron Davis and the Clippers’ 2011 first-round draft pick to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

Skinny: You hear the term “I like the trade for both teams”, here is one that I would say I hate the trade for both teams. I never like the idea of giving up a lottery pick for nothing, no matter how weak the draft is. Basically, the Cavs bought a lottery pick for 12 mil, that’s the difference between Davis’ contract and Williams’. This could be really ugly for the Cavs watching an unmotivated Baron going thru the motion. Davis was playing well for the Clippers thanks to Blake Griffin, but looking at the Cavs roster, it’s quite a depressing sight. The only good news for Cavs fans is that their owner is showing a willingness to improve no matter the cost. For the Clippers, they will be saving money, and they will have cap room, but with their history, no one significant wants to play for Donald Sterling.

Grades: LAC D, Cle C-

Hello and welcome, James Johnson

It seems like the Raptors have made a trade. The first round pick from Miami which would be in the 25-30 range to Chicago Bulls for James Johnson.

The Raptors were interested in Johnson back in 2009 draft, they were thinking of picking him at the 9th spot, but ended up with DeRozan instead. Johnson didn’t do much for the Bulls though, it’s a combination of not enough playing time and trying to do too much when he gets playing time. I have seen him a couple of times in his rookie season, and he is very turnover prone and fouls quite a bit.  Made a lot of rookie mistakes. He didn’t get a lot of playing time with the Bulls this season.

He is a bit of a tweener, think Ryan Gomes and that’s James Johnson. I think he is probably a little more athletic than Gomes, but Gomes has a better jumper. He and Kleiza would be the most mistake prone SF duo in the NBA.  Fortunately, Kleiza is hurt, so you won’t see that happen this season.

For a low first round pick, it’s not a bad move. On a weak draft, 25-30 pick probably won’t produce any good players.  The Raptors hope that Johnson can turn out to be a decent player, if he becomes Ryan Gomes, the Raptors would be very happy.

Here are some things that were written about him during draft time. First from ESPN:

Positives	Strong, athletic Big wingspan, great hands Excellent athlete Excels as a slasher Solid shooter with some 3-point range Hits the offensive glass
Negatives	A bit of a tweener, what position will he be in the NBA? Old for his class Poor shot selection Plays out of control at times Just as average defender

From Draft Express

Attacking the basket, Johnson excels most catching and attacking from the wing, as his ball-handling usually won’t overwhelm defenders away in space. He’s a very rangy player, making long strides with the ball, and showing the ability to cover large amounts of ground when he goes to his spin move, which he excels with. He’ll occasionally mix in a crossover, but for the most part he relies on his long strides in combination with his excellent balance and coordination, allowing him to step in directions many other players cannot. Despite his physical tools, he runs into some problems at times, not always showing the greatest awareness or timing, leading to situations where he’ll look awkward, not getting past his man in the lane, and forcing up a tough shot. These situations also lead to turnovers on occasion, as he commits 2.6 per game.

CNNSI:

Still no inside threat for the offense, the need for years, but there also weren’t any realistic candidates at No. 16. The pick there, James Johnson, is a combo forward with strength and agility. Johnson needs to get in better shape than he showed in predraft workouts, but he can handle the ball and fits nicely with a team that has reason to be optimistic about the future.

Collegehoops:

Strengths: Very athletic, strong & tough – practiced martial arts his whole life. Versatile – can play multiple positions. Able to take his man off the dribble. Can hit the face-up jumper. Able to absorb contact and still score. Good wingspan. Very good size for the NBA. Explosive leaper. Good shot blocker. Gets plenty of steals.

Weaknesses: Inconsistent. Foul prone. Needs to work on his post moves. Still inexperienced – hasn’t been playing organized basketball for very long. Not good at drawing fouls. His game didn’t progress much from his freshman to sophomore seasons. Is already 22-years-old.

Projected 2009 Draft Range: Late first round pick.

Consensus: No doubt James Johnson has a future in the NBA. His combination of skills and size are rare, but the fact that he is already 22-years-old and hasn’t shown great improvements over his two years in college are red flags.

Live at the ACC: My first Raptor game at the hanger this season.1

The title says it all, tonight’s game vs the Clips is the first Raptor home game I have been to this season. While I am no longer a season ticket holder, I would have thought that I would go to more games, but I really couldn’t find any reasons going to the ACC; until now.

Obviously seeing Blake Griffin live, is too good of a reason for a basketball fan to pass up.  There is a buzz before the game, the ACC was 3/4 full just before the game started (if you haven’t been to ACC, the place would be lucky if it’s 1/2 full by the middle of 1st quarter) and it was a sold out.

The game itself wasn’t much, lots of sloppy basketball, bad defense, and missed opportunities. Very chippy from the start, there was no flow to the game at all as the refs just called ticky-tack fouls.

By my count, Griffin had 5 dunks all night, the only one worth mentioning was the alley oop with Baron Davis. Other than that the Blake show was a disappointment.  The Raps did a fine job defending Griffin, not allowing him to get easy points (yes, they have a game plan and actually stick to it).

Here are other notes from the game:

– DeRozan’s jumper is coming along nicely. He had a good rhythm going in the first quarter with 10 points, but not getting the ball much in the 2nd. His jumper was off after that. He did have a very good dunk in transition.

– While Bargnani did score 27 points, his defense was horrible. Brian Cook scored 17 points in 25 minutes against Bargnani. If Cook can play 82 games against Il Mago, he would be int he hall of fame. Cook can’t move any more, I mean he is a slower than a turtle, but he was able to drive past Bargnani a couple of times. And Bargnani lost him completely on a inbound play once.  Just so frustrating watching him play.

– Jose’s confidence just isn’t there right now. His jumper isn’t falling, and with Jose, it’s all about his confidence.  He did get a double double and 10 points and 11 assists.

– The game was in a lull during the second quarter after Blake Griffin picked up his third foul. I almost fell asleep till the very last play where DeRozan’s hard foul on DeAndree Jordan, sending Jordan to the line. I told my friend that you will see an air-ball. And Jordan made me look like genius by doing just that right on cue. The entire ACC came alive right then, and he missed the 2nd free throw as well.  The Raptor did try to hack-a-jordan late in the game, and the crowd was loving it. I think more teams should try this.

– Good to see Baron looking like he give a damn again. He played much better lately, maybe it’s due to Blake Griffin. Davis doesn’t have the explosiveness anymore, but his handle is still good. Plus his size makes it hard for other guards to defend.  I am surprised they don’t call more plays for him the low post. Davis did however pick up a technical and had a few choice words for Jose Calderon in the third quarter

– Both teams made some bad turnovers, especially in the 2nd quarter, where it’s almost comical. Instead of making the simple plays, both teams are trying to make the spectecular ones. It’s sort of expected with two really young teams playing.

– There is no untouchable on a 15 win team like the Raptors, but I think Ed Davis is the closet to being one. No, I haven’t changed my mine about his potential, but he is just a very solid player. Some one who can defend and rebound isn’t easy to find. Add to the fact, that he is very good at being at the right place and the right time and finish his shots. He defended Blake Griffin as well as anyone can ask for, given Blake is so much stronger than Davis. Davis will be a starter for a good NBA team, let’s hope it’s the Toronto Raptors.

– Andrea Bargnani made some tough shots late in the game, very clutch of him. See I do say nice things about him. He made an unbelievable banker shots and got foul in the process. DeAndree Jordan was shaking his head in disbelief.

– If the Raptors are serious in keeping DeRozan, then they have to find someone who can compliment him. I don’t think Sonny is that player; they need someone who can shoot 3 and play defense. A guy like Affalo would be good, but Sonny and DeRozan just doesn’t mesh well on the court.

– Blake Griffin gets 21/15, which is a pretty quiet 21/15. He needs to improve on a couple of things. 1) go to the gym and hit 1000 jumpshot and free throws every day in the offseason. 2) He got to be better on defense. Despite his explosiveness, he is not a shot blocker.Sky is the limit for the man.

– This Clipper team could be a scary team to watch 2-3 years down the road, too bad Donald Sterling will find a way to screw it up.

– Overall, I have fun. The Raptors win, didn’t get the free pizza, but it’s not like I would go collect anyway. I would rather watch them face the Clippers than to see them against Miami.

Amir doing work, DeRozan Defense, Pre-season predictions, Trade baits and Odd Bayless stats

Today, I am going to look at some Raptor and NBA related stuff.

1) Amir doing work.

I have written this before, but Amir Johnson is one of the bright spot for the Raptors this season. The biggest thing is that he is able to stay on the floor without getting into too much foul issues. He averaged just less than 30 minutes in Jan, which is a career high for Amir. I wasn’t too crazy about the 5 year contract given by Bryan Colangelo, mostly because Amir can’t stay on the floor.  I also said that in order for Amir to earn his contract, he has to average 30 minutes per game. If he can continue to stay on the floor and avoid foul problems, I could be wrong after all.

Johnson is still very young at 23 and continue his improvement as a NBA player. He has great hands, excellent finisher around the rim. He improves his jumper and free throws. He has always been able to rebound and block shots. The one thing I like most about him is that he battles every game. He is undersized even as a PF, he isn’t strong enough to battle most players for positions. But he tried to front bigger opponents for post position, and somehow get into good rebounding position, unlike Andrea Bargnani who concede post position every time. His defense on Andrew Bogut late in the game against the Bucks was tremendous.

Johnson can be a starter in this league on a contending team, he has all the skills and athletic ability in the world, nothing can stop him from being a good player except for himself.

2) DeRozan’s Defense.

Now that DeMar has proven he can score, maybe it’s time for him to learn how to play defense.  According to 82games.com, his on court/off court rating is the worst among the regular players playing on the team. And this is proven if you watch him play defense on court.  He gets blown by way too easily, get caught in screen too many times, doesn’t get into good defensive stance. DeRozan so far has not be able to translate his athletic ability to defense. In order for the Raptors to become a better defensive team, DeRozan has to play better D.

3) Pre-Season Prediction.

Before the season started, I did an over and under column base on Vegas odds.

Over and Under NBA 2010-2011 season

Like all prediction, the results are mixed. By my calculation, I am right about 60% of these. So far, it looks I am right about Minnesota, Toronto, Cleveland, NY, New Jersey, Chicago, Philly, Houston, Charlotte, Phoenix, Indiana, OKC, Golden States, Detroit, New Orleans, San Antonio, Dallas and Denver.  I was wrong on the others, particularly the Bucks (I thought Maggette and Gooden would improve their offense, but both are disappointment this season), the Celtics (I was thinking they would pace themselves and have more health issues) and the Hawks (I thought they have reached a peak last season).

Of course, things could change, an injury or two could alter the outcome of the season, we will have an in depth look after the season.

4) Trade Baits.

With the trade deadline just a couple of weeks away, it’s time look at who in the Raptor lineup are most likely to be traded. For me, there is no untouchable with this lineup, as long as we get value in return, but the 2 players most likely to be moved are Leandro Barbosa and Reggie Evans. Evans is an expiring contract, who is a monster rebounder. The Raptors hoped that he can return from his injury before the trade deadline so they can showcase him to the contenders. Reggie is a good backup big man on a contending team, the Raptors is hoping to get a young prospect or late first round pick. As for Barbosa, he is very valuable player who can provide scoring off the bench. He has a player option which he will probably not use. If the Raptors can get an expiring contract plus a decent prospect, then he has a good chance of leaving.

As for the other Raptors, I am sure none of them are untouchable. If Colangelo could get value for Bargnani, he would move him. It’s just that I am not sure the longer contracts can be traded especially when there is a lockout looming.  As for the trade exception, I don’t expect them to use much of it.

5) Odd Bayless stats

We will end on something I observe with Bayless. He is a much better player as a starter than coming off the bench. He averaged 14/7/4 while shooting 46% as a starter, while his FG%, points per minute and assist per minute goes down when he comes off the bench. He seems to look more confident as a starter, and very tentative coming off the bench.  I am not sure if anyone can explain it, but it’s very odd.  And it’s not like he is pouting coming off the bench like TJ Ford, he has a good attitude as far as I can tell, it’s pretty strange.